180 
EEGULUS CALENDULA. 
GENUS XXIV. — 2i£ GUI. VS, Vieill. 
140. KEGVLVS CIIElfDUEJ, STErHEXS. 
SYLVIA CALENDULA, WILSOK. — aUET-CUOWNED nKEX- 
■WILSON, PLATE V. FIG. Ill, 
This little bird vi.sits us early in the spring-, from 1^* 
south, and is generally first found among the 
blossoms, about the beginning of April. These fail’’-’ 
it has recourse to those of the ])each, apple, and otlj^^ ' 
fruit trees, partly for the tops of the sneet and sleu^ 
stamina of the flowers, and partly for the 
insects that hover among them. In the middle 
summer, 1 have rarely met with these birds in 
sylvania ; and, as they penetrate as far north as ^ ".j [ 
country round Hudson’s Bay, and also breed there, ^ 
accounts for their late arrival here, in fall. They t**? ^ 
associate with the different species of titmouse, and t’^ I 
golden-crested wren ; and arc particularly numerous ‘ 
the month of October, and beginning- of November, ^ 
orchards, among the decaying leaves of the apple tri'‘j 
tliat, at that season, are infested n ith great numbers 
small black-winged insects, among which they i"*;, 
great havoc. 1 have often regretted the painful i 
sity one is under of taking away the lives of s" ^ 
inoffensive, useful little creatures, merely to obtai'' , | 
more perfect knowledge of the species ; for they app*' , 
so busy, so active and unsuspecting, as to cout"' 
searching about the same twig, even after tlieir co'^ 
panions have been shot don u beside them. They 
more remarkably so in .autumn, which may be 
to the great numher of young and inexperienced bJ 
which are then among them; and fref|uently, * jg 
season, I have stood under the free, motionles®" 
observe them, while they gleaned among the 
branches sometimes within a foot or two of my 
They are extremely adroit in catching their prey ; 
only at times a feeble chirp ; visit the tops of 
